Nightcap
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

NightcapNightcap
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From:
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
7%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 12.18%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
99
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 22, 2021
Added:
Sep 17, 2014
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  15
No description / notes.
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Ratings by StonedTrippin:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.29/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
definitely a weird one this one, nice to see crooked stave starting to come around with some new beers. this is real different, i think its nightmare with some special ingredients, namely coffee and spices, although that doesnt explain the lower abv. weird to have coffee in a sour, and unlike the few others ive had, the coffee is really forward. its acidic, but thats probably the base beer rather than the coffee. pause for a moment here, the packaging on this bottle is stunning. purple wax and a cool label, its beautiful. the beer is dark and frothy, airy and cloudy, with a nose of dark fruit and really tart mature brett and soggy oak. the fruit definitely comes from the malt in the taste, and the coffee adds a cool earthy base. its really dark roasty coffee with some nice bitterness to go with the acidity. the spices are interesting, mild, white pepper, clove, even anise maybe, they are all more subtle than the coffee, which is most pronounced right before the swallow. its odd to have such a delicate mouthfeel in such an intensely acidic and flavorful beer, yet here it is. effervescent but not aggressive carbonation, if you can imagine that, with a dry and mouthwatering finish, another paradox that resolves in a wonderful way. i think this is outstanding beer, although its most certainly for the evolved wild ale palate, no an introduction by any means. i get an almost wine sort of acidity to it, which i like a lot. id like to see this one get brewed and released again, something one of a kind here.
Dec 10, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.1 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Dec 22, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by Brob245 from Missouri

Feb 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.95 by swid from Missouri

Jan 03, 2020
 
Rated: 3.59 by Ristaccia from Nebraska

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 3.63 by dfhhead25 from Pennsylvania

Feb 27, 2018
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.78/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Thick, 12 ounce glass bottle I've been cellaring for a couple of years.

Pours thick and nicely fizzy into a tulip glass, damn near opaque black with a tight and brittle lining of tan bubbles that fizzes up and fades down.

Smells pretty damn exquisite. Old school, before smoothie fruit was a thing. Tart and stouty. Apples and grapes and sour cherries but also straight up barley and coffee.

Tastes, again, exquisite. This is basically posited as a wild ale plus a stout, and it delivers as a high end version of both styles. Lactic tartness is extreme up front, moving into a truly bonkers middle that is like a nicely aged stout on one side of your tongue and a kickass lambic on the other. It finishes like a more thorough combination of the nodes, but there's still no clear resolution. It's a battle throughout.

But just because it's a battle doesn't mean it's unpleasant. The beer is shockingly drinkable, even as each milisecond of each sip arrests your attention.
Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.63 by aaronyoung01 from New Mexico

Sep 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.95 by TheLefty1616 from New York

Dec 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.11 by M_chav from New Mexico

Dec 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by suckaj from Florida

Oct 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.05 by outoffocus from Pennsylvania

Mar 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.74 by BeerOps from Illinois

Mar 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Mar 07, 2016
Photo of gcamparone
Reviewed by gcamparone from Rhode Island

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a deep Amber nearly brown body with little head, retention, or lacing.

Aromas are sharp lactic and sour cherries, some wine / berries.

On the tongue is sharp acidity, sour cherries, vinegar, light barrel but mostly just sour lactic. Mouth is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Like others have said, the sharp acidity / sourness kind of takes away from the other advertised flavors.
Jan 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.88 by CraftEyeDoc from North Carolina

Jan 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.08 by DVMin98 from North Carolina

Nov 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Nov 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by duceswild from Heard & McDonald Islands

Nov 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.75 by Elicoleman from Colorado

Sep 30, 2015
Nightcap from Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 99 ratings